A general picture of judicial responsibilities and of Federal and Provincial responsibilities in Canada is projected, with information on the division of juvenile delinquent cases into those prosecuted under the law for juvenile delinquents and those prosecuted under the law for the protection of youths. Laws passed in Quebec regarding the protection and custody of children are listed and discussions treat issues of parental rights and child security and the problems in the law with assuring both familial integrity and child safety. The conditions under which the Province can intervene to remove the child from the family or to rectify familial conditions are enumerated, as are the measures that the intervening agency can take under such conditions. The powers of the head of the child protection agency are explored, together with the powers of the juvenile court. Services for juveniles-at-risk are described, with attention to the open centers for referral and probation, and to the centers at which youths are lodged for further education or for diagnosis and placement. Final remarks touch on the need for further research into the best ways to place children outside the home and on the need to retain family structures as much as possible. Statutes regarding juveniles are charted. --in French.